Art, photography, life and how those are really all the same thing.

An Open Letter To Jack Hanna

AN OPEN LETTER TO JACK HANNA

Dear Mr. Hanna,

The great empathy I have toward animals today I owe, in part, to you.

I grew up watching your animal shows. They delighted and educated me, giving me insights into wondrous creatures I would not have access to otherwise. I believe you deeply and sincerely care about all wildlife and would never knowingly support animal cruelty in any form.

So, seeing you in interview after interview defending SeaWorld in light of the revelations in CNN’s recent documentary BLACKFISH both boggles my mind and breaks my heart.

You have done so much in support of conservation and animal rights…advocating for humane conditions for factory animals, championing the idea that wild animals should be left wild and just generally bringing people a better understanding of the animal world…so I am at an utter loss to explain how you can justify and defend SeaWorld’s tactics and practices.

The orca Tilikum languishes alone every day and night in a tank equivalent to the size of a bathtub to you. The victim of terrible abuse, he bobs motionless, having retreated as far back into his mind as he can, as that is the only option he has.

Tilikum Languishing, photo by Colleen Gorman, via The Orca Project . Click on the photo to read about her documentation of Tilikum’s miserable existence.

You know enough about animals — and humans, for that matter — to read this body language. He is miserable. And his actions which forced his solitary confinement are not only understandable, they are the direct result of the unconscionable practices of SeaWorld.

How can you defend SeaWorld when you know it began its collection of orcas by physically ripping calves away from their screaming mothers? Mothers who could only watch the nightmare unfold before them, powerless to stop it.

How do you justify this kidnapping and cruelty for the sole purpose of building an amusement park? Especially when you KNOW orca whale pods are matriarchal and that, in the wild, the males never leave their mothers.

These are such emotionally complex animals. Study after study shows they demonstrate not only the use of language, but actual sentience. You cannot reasonably expect such an intelligent, social animal to thrive in forced captivity away from its natural family structure. And why should he have to? For profit?

Any human enduring decades of similar physical and emotional torture would not be well-adjusted. So it is no surprise Tilikum reacted as he did to his repeated abuse. Given his complete isolation now, unenriched without so much as one other companion, human interaction or even a single toy, his life can only be one endless, meaningless misery.

You said in a recent interview with CNN that your motto is “touch the heart to teach the mind.” And you said that is what SeaWorld does. But that isn’t true. Organizations like Greenpeace and the Sea Shepherds do a huge amount of touching hearts and teaching minds without kidnapping a single wild animal and forcing it to perform for our amusement.

You also mentioned that animals which are “out of sight are out of mind.” That is true. And that is where animal sanctuaries come in. True sanctuaries — places for animals too injured to live in the wild, born in captivity, or otherwise unsuited for life in the wild — are invaluable, and indeed do “touch the heart to teach the mind,” while allowing animals to maintain their dignity and their sanity.

I recently visited a wolf sanctuary where all the wolves had been born in captivity. They were given huge enclosures, always paired with several other wolves they got along with and lived very happy, enriched lives. I have adored wolves since I was a young child. Yet seeing them in person in this environment not only taught me new things about them, it gave me an even deeper appreciation for them… accomplished entirely without capturing any wild animals, destroying any families or forcing the animals to perform in any way.

In another part of your interview, you seemed unsure of what “happy” means in regards to whales at SeaWorld…as if “happy” is a mystical, unknowable state. Well, if you cannot define “happy,” I can define “unhappy.”

Whales covered in scars from being attacked after they have been forced into cramped enclosures with strange whales from outside their families…they are unhappy.

Whales with flopping dorsal fins from an unbalanced diet…they are unhappy.

Whales who have their teeth drilled out by hand without any anesthetic…they are unhappy.

Whales forced to perform just to survive…they are unhappy.

“Whatever happy is,” you said. If these whales were your children or grandchildren, would you be satisfied with your failure to define “happy?”

Perhaps the only happiness in this situation is that death finds SeaWorld’s whales much earlier than their wild counterparts. Wild orcas can live for a hundred years. SeaWorld’s whales die many, many decades sooner. And given the conditions they must endure, I do not doubt they are glad to receive that early release.

Mr. Hanna, you know these whales are intelligent and emotional. You know they are mistreated and miserable. You know that they have never harmed a human in the wild. And you know this is not conservation…it is capitalism.

Please restore my faith in you and all that you have taught me through the years.

Please do the right thing and stop defending this blatant, horrific abuse.

Sincerely,
Sarah Allegra

Orca – an old photo of mine, but one which suited this blog perfectly.

If you, dear reader, are as enraged and sorrowful as I am, here are some things you can do to help:

Watch Blackfish and spread the word about the atrocities being covered up by Sea World.

Love your letter ever word so true!! Sadly though while we thought Jack was great as kids in reality he was exploiting animals for fame and fortune himself. He has worked hard at building the prison sentence for wildlife in Zoos and Aquariums that we see worldwide.

Can one of you answer something from me? I’ve gotten a weird uptick in traffic to this page on my blog, 99% of it coming from Facebook… is that how you came, and if so, can you tell me where the link is coming from? I certainly don’t have a problem with extra traffic and extra attention to the letter, but it’s driving me crazy not knowing 😉 Thanks!

Very articulate letter Sarah! I am so saddened and infuriated by the treatment of these beautiful and intelligent animals. I hope Jack Hanna reads this and changes his support of captive performing animals. Shame on Sea World and Jack Hanna.

The day the orcas become a liability, a drag on the bottom line that will be the day SeaWorld and Jack Hanna will come around, as long as attendance to the parks stays up I predict a dim and dark future for the orcas. We all need to raise awareness among our family and friends, vote with your feet and they will get the message.

Agreed. Money, or the loss of money, is an excellent way to motivate businesses into more ethical actions. I have a feeling that the outrage Blackfish generated will start to make a BIG impact on their bottom line.

Yes, exactly! There are a million animals I’ve never seen in person, and I still advocate for all of them. Seeing them in person can give you a deeper appreciation for them (like my wolf sanctuary visit) but the “awareness” raised by needlessly keeping wild animals captive in inhumane conditions does not nearly justify its existence.

Excellent letter Sarah.
I can’t understand why, in this day and age, these establishments such as Seaworld are still functioning in this way. Surely we can create safe, ocean based reserves where the currently captive animals can be retired.
I sincerely hope this recent publicity is the start of something. I remember when I was a child it was “socially acceptable” to wear fur – this is no longer the case thankfully.
I hope that within the next few years it becomes socially unacceptable to attend a place like Seaworld where they are still holding dolphins in captivity. I am proud to come from a country that is a “captive dolphin and whale free zone” – the U.K -. but unfortunately some of our citizens still choose to visit these types of places when on holiday. Let us all try and get the message out !
Thank you.

Carolyn, excellent point about society’s change about fur! It pops up from time to time still, but there has been HUGE progress made on that front! I have a feeling that we will soon see the same kind of shift about whales and dolphins. Good for the UK for being captive dolphin and whale free! I hope the rest of the world follows the wonderful example your country is setting 🙂

How about we ask the film makers to use the funds earned by this disgraceful display of capitalizing on an innocent woman’s death to help these supposedly abused animals?! How about if they donate some of the profits to the Dawn Brancheau Memorial Charitable Foundation that Seaworld is helping to fund?! Oh that’s right they can’t because they are greedy money makers that don’t really care!

I am still in shock ..shocked to see and to find still in use in many parks punishment training used instead of at first science backed positive reinforcement . The horrible teeth marks on this poor baby by the others and locking him up all night in his first few months ..and the vivid scenes of how they captured him from his mother and family who wouldn’t leave him is heartbreaking . This is so well done I understand why Sea World does not want it seen.
I was actually surprised how well they just gave information and leave it up to the viewer .
This at last is showing a side never shown before.
I don’t think most of us have a problem when treatment and environmental conditions are fully met …this was not and is not always as we know what is done . I don’t know anyone who can watch this in it’s entirety and not be moved ?
Unfortunately there are many investor backers who are connected to the Sea World corporation who demand to see profits

Like Loro Parque, the truth and awareness has been finally opened to many who did not know and there are many experts not paid by Sea World to say what they are told to say who all agree they should not be on these tiny cement pools . The dorsal fin issue ….and the lifespan of those in captivity compared to those in the wild is eye opening in itself.

When they weighed down the two dead whales who were killed trying to rescue baby Till , so there was no trace of them I was outraged …when he was locked up alone and scared and bitten up I was in shock and when the other captive baby was taken from her captive mother …and she grieved so vocally for months and never been the same whale again …I just cried.
Sea World was sold by Budweiser to the Blackstone Group ( owned by Pete Peterson,who founded the Blackstone Group with Stephen Schwarzman who made Forbes top 10 worst billionaires list of 2013) and just recently was made public on the stock exchange .

I cried a number of times watching Blackfish, and I’ll freely admit I *sobbed* during most of The Cove. It’s just utterly horrific. It will take time and a lot of people getting together to express their outrage, but I am hopeful we can change this. And I tend to be a bit of a pessimist, so that’s saying something 🙂 Thank you for your thoughtful comments!

I encourage everyone commenting here to take just 10 minutes to sign the petitions Sarah has compiled here. One of the petitions only had 9,000 signatures. Make your concern heard by signing and sharing these petitions.

This is a beautifully written letter. I too am horrified to see his support of an organization that profits from the capture of these beautifully complex creatures. I posted a letter expressing my disappointment on his Facebook page. Hopefully, the loss of support of fans will help him see the light. He needs to go back to what we remember him to be – a supporter of animals not corporations.

I couldn’t have said it better. Beautifully written…I hope it gets read by him. It’s people such as Hanna that could use their fame and celebrity to add even more clout to this movement…it’s a big shame when they don’t. I just don’t know how any animal proponent can actually endorse an animal like a whale in captivity. It doesn’t make any logical sense whatsoever (I’m not even going to start on issues concerning other large animals kept in zoos too…). And I’m pretty sure that deep down Jack Hanna knows this to be true but doesn’t want to bite the hand that feeds him.
There’s a big difference when you compare a wildlife park where the animals roam over large areas (where you may not even see them if you visit) or a sanctuary that only rehabilitates, with a zoo that doesn’t try and replicate a natural habitat, or a place such as Seaworld where animals are to perform. It’s no different from a circus. The amount of pure misinformation fed to park guests and the media (following events such as a trainer’s death) there is disgusting too; how can anyone defend that? That’s not education, that’s protecting your assets.
It’s time that all these places really did put their money where their mouth is and stand up for animal welfare and conservation. God knows, they DO have the money to turn this whole thing around. They just have to do what right for the animals, not just for them.

Yes, there is a huge difference between places focused on conservation (and especially places trying to help rebuild populations of endangered animals), sanctuaries, and places like SeaWorld where the animals have to sing for their supper. I hope that with all the pressure they find themselves under now, they’ll be compelled to do the right thing! Thank you for your lovely comment!

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I have shared your beautiful and passionate letter with many of my friends here in New York City and asked them to forward to others. Seaworld’s Public Relations nightmare does not seem to be subsiding which is encouraging. How to we harness all this energy and come together as a unified force to effect real change? I know there are several petitions and organizations but if we could join together the millions of people here in the US and internationally who want to see Tili live his life in an open water sanctuary, it would be awesome. It is a very interesting time in Animal Advocacy. I have never seen such momentum and it seems to be growing every day. Sending positive thoughts to Tili and all the proud, magnificent creatures who deserve to be treated with respect and love.

[…] was “cyborg costume” (because of this photo); currently, people looking up things about Jack Hanna and Blackfish come my way a lot. Sometimes the phrases are weird and creepy, but it’s still always […]

unfortunately, i think jack h. is in it for the money too. it always come down to $$$$$$$$$$. it’s amazing how many people including hunters will say they “love” animals.” guess that’s why there is so much violence against women and children.

[…] every day. If you also agree that SeaWorld’s practices are abusive and need to be changed, please see my open letter to Jack Hanna regarding his defense of SeaWorld. You can read more about the issues there and take action with petitions to sign!Thank you to […]

Sarah, I accidentally came across your letter to Mr. Hanna on the Vegas Animal
Rescue Site. Wow, thank you for taking the time to write such an eloquent, powerful letter. I’m not that savvy about F.B.,,blogs and other sites, but I intend on copying/ forwarding your letter to others. Let me know if there is an easier way to get the info out to others.
Did Hanna ever respond? Did you send a copy to Sea World and it’s affiliates?
FYI, I am an semi-retired Animal Behaviorist relocated to Las Vegas from O.C. CA. I am currently focusing on the shelter/rescue population and I’m also interested in Animal Welfare issues. Our immediate focus is to address the overpopulation issue and target one of the number one intake shelters here locally. A few of us wish to initiate a local animal welfare group to address animal welfare issues through public awareness/education and legislative change. We are currently contacting other groups for advise, support and ideas. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
As an trainer, I have worked hard to promote positive/humane approaches to training of companion/domesticated animals.
I have never liked the idea of keeping healthy wild/exotic animals captive when they are capable and more likely to thrive in their natural habitat.
As a child, I never thought these animals suffered. The general public does not completely understand their needs and what goes on behind the scenes. We also assume that because such organizations and their staff genuinely seem to care for these animals, that every aspect of their experience is okay.We cannot dismiss the entire truth of their experience. It’s time the general public is fully aware of all the details.
Thank you for listing the petition sites. I signed every one!

Off the subject….Aside from being a talented writer, you apparently are a talented artist! I love ethereal art and photography. I will google your name to see if you have a website.Let me know if you have one. I like the photo displayed by your name. I have a friend in the Bay area that is also a photographer. I’m not sure what you call it, but she fuses imagery from nature and creates another type of ethereal look. She is also an environmentalist and animal advocate. I will forward your info to her. I’m sure she will appreciate it.
We will be going to the Defender’s of Wildlife Conservation Workshop at Yellow stone in Aug.
Although is sad to learn of animal suffering, it is uplifting and encouraging to know there are like-minded compassionate people like your self who are the voice and true guardians of the animals here on earth.
It would be nice to stay in touch so that we may join forces and continue our efforts to help our beloved animal friends.
Thank you!
Lore Adams

Thank you for your lovely comments! I’m glad that my letter has rang true for so many people. Copying and pasting the letter is just fine; you can also send people the link to that post (https://sarahallegra.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/an-open-letter-to-jack-hanna/). Both ways work, but sending them the link will enable them to come to the blog and sign the petitions, see the photos, videos, etc, so it just gives them more options. I’m happy that you want to spread it, and thank you for signing the petitions! 🙂

I have sent the letter to SeaWorld, the Columbus Zoo and any other group/people I could think of who might be useful to get it to. As of now, I have not heard back from Mr. Hanna or anyone else under criticism in Blackfish, but that doesn’t surprise me.

Good for you for working with the shelters and focusing on population control! I am by no means an expert on promoting yourself or your agenda, but I have found Twitter and Facebook to be very handy! It’s an easy and casual way to get in touch with people.

Thank you for your kind words about my photography! Yes, I do have a site, it’s SarahAllegra.com Your friend’s work sounds very interesting! You can subscribe to my blog, if you’d like; there’s an “email subscriptions” button at the top of the page. If you sign up there, you’ll get the blog emailed to you whenever a new post goes up. Very handy for staying in touch!

Thank you again for your wonderful thoughts and comments! It’s really great to hear from people who connect with what you do 🙂

I just noticed on SeaWorld’s upcoming schedule several appearances by Jack Hanna at SeaWorld Orlando. Disgraceful that he could claim to be all about animal conservation and education when in fact he had a price that SeaWorld happily paid. The true warriors for animals can not be bought Mr. Hanna.

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I, too, was horrified and disgusted by Mr Hanna’s insipid defense of SeaWorld’s captive orcas. Of course, once his affiliation with SeaWorld as a member of the BoD was known, it all made sense. Mr Hanna has proven himself to be just another corporate mouthpiece for SeaWorld, protecting his financial interest and supporting the status quo.
Beautiful letter; too bad he continues to deny the obvious.

Can one of you answer something from me? I’ve gotten a weird uptick in traffic to this page on my blog, 99% of it coming from Facebook… is that how you came, and if so, can you tell me where the link is coming from? I certainly don’t have a problem with extra traffic and extra attention to the letter, but it’s driving me crazy not knowing 😉 Thanks!

Can one of you answer something from me? I’ve gotten a weird uptick in traffic to this page on my blog, 99% of it coming from Facebook… is that how you came, and if so, can you tell me where the link is coming from? I certainly don’t have a problem with extra traffic and extra attention to the letter, but it’s driving me crazy not knowing 😉 Thanks!

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